Sicilian Spaghetti Stuffed Eggplant Rollups {Involtini di Melanzane}

We just returned from ten fabulous days in France, spending half our stay in Provence, and the other half in the French Alps so my husband and his friends could climb mountains on their bikes. Now our trip to Sicily last month seems so far away, and I had to recently pull out my photos to bring back memories of our journey. The one aspect I think I enjoyed the most, and will never forget, was the food in Sicily. The cuisine in Sicily is still Italian but has a unique twist all of its own, making every dish we tried taste new and exciting. In Palermo, I was enthralled with the street food, and we ate as much of it as humanly possible in the two days we were there. The stands in the three main markets in Palermo offered a myriad of tasty tidbits that we thoroughly enjoyed trying. One eggplant option involved thin fried circles of eggplant stuffed with spaghetti, then topped with a spoonful of zesty tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Since eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it, I made notes on the preparation so I could duplicate it at home.

When I made my version of this dish at home, I served two stuffed eggplant circles as an appetizer before our main course. These delicious stuffed eggplant morsels would also be a great option on an antipasti tray when entertaining, or would be perfect party fare. Instead of frying the slices of eggplant as they do in Sicily, I lightly brush mine with olive oil and broil them to keep the dish a little lighter. You can use your favorite tomato sauce, but I’ll include my easy quick sauce in the recipe for you to try as well. I find a lightly flavored sauce works best in this recipe.

Luckily, eggplants are never really out of season as they grow well anywhere with sufficient sunshine, so be sure only to buy them fresh. Eggplants should be firm to the touch, with tight, shiny skins. Avoid any with visible blemishes or dimples in their flesh. Using slight pressure, press your thumb into the fleshy part of the eggplant. If the pressure causes a defect, discard that eggplant. Also, choose eggplants that seem heavy for their size, as lightweight eggplants reflect pulpy choices, full of seeds. For this recipe, round or pear shaped eggplants of at least five inches in diameter are best.

Some cooks never feel it necessary to peel the skin of an eggplant before cooking, while others always do. That is only personal preference, and I sometimes do depending on the recipe, or the size of the eggplant, as generally the larger the eggplant, the tougher the skin. For this recipe, the skin helps to hold the eggplant slices together, so I recommend NOT peeling them. Salting is another matter that has cooks disagreeing, but I salt any eggplant that I have not picked fresh myself from my garden, or if I am not sure it is very fresh. Salting not only removes the bitter juices but will help prevent the eggplant from absorbing oil if frying is the preparation method of choice. To “salt” an eggplant, simply sprinkle coarse salt uniformly on slices placed in a colander. Place a weight on the slices, and let them drain in the sink for at least 30 minutes. Later, just pat dry of any excess salt and use in your recipe.

Palermo Market Where I First Tasted This Dish

Palermo Market Treats! I Believe The Eggplant Rollups Are In The Top Right Of This Photo.

Made the spaghetti eggplant roll ups. Did make a few changes cut the eggplant long ways then slices easy to work with. Fried in cast iron pan. Mixed the spaghetti with the sauce and added ricotta cheese toss together. This was very good. I give it 5 stars